Survived first year.

[Silas 0]

I am so glad to find it's not just me that can't be understood over here. I was beginning to get a bit of a complex about it all. My in-laws don't seem to have a clue about what I'm talking about most of the time - I almost feel like the special kid at school. Still, most of the time I don't have that much of a clue about what they're saying but being British I don't say anything and try to answer as best I can from what little I did here.

Also, while we're on the subject of sausages if anyone knows of a place in central Philadelphia that sells decent sausages I'd be grateful to hear about it.

Oh and congrats on surving the first year Lansbury!

Edited December 5, 2007 by Silas

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

Great post Lansbury, and great thread that followed!!

When we finally move over to the States, I will not only have to change some of the words that I use, but I'll have to change back some of the things that I have changed for English people.

When I got here first I worked on a telephone customer service desk, no one could ever understand when I spelled things out. I was pronouncing the letter 'r' as 'orr' which americans would understand, but for here in London, I had to change it to 'ahh' . I had to change my accent too, so that people could understand me. I'll be glad to put the Irish back in so people can understand me in the states.

[Jmaster911 0]

The HR Director at the company thats employing me when we move, said to me "You don't have to learn American, you just need to learn how to speak Texan!!" - lol.

[Lansbury 19]

Went to lunch yesterday while at the shopping mall and ordered a bowl of chili, after the third attempt my wife had to translate for the server. What is so difficult about understanding "I'll have a bowl of chili please."

[StillThePrettiest 3]

the oft-mentioned 'water' still boggles my mind; what else could it really be?

I hear you, Poiteen, about changing some things back... I'm pretty good at saying 'trousers' instead of 'pants', now, and I've successfully substituted 'courgette' for 'zucchini' and 'pepper' for 'capsicum', etc etc... now some will change back, and some won't, plus I'll have a whole raft of new ones (arugula?! ) so I won't know whether I'm coming or going

[*julez* 124]

Went to lunch yesterday while at the shopping mall and ordered a bowl of chili, after the third attempt my wife had to translate for the server. What is so difficult about understanding "I'll have a bowl of chili please."

I am always surprised when I have to translate for my fiance! I think he speaks quite clearly. Once we were in a pub here in Buffalo. the hostess sat us at our table and took our drink order. When she heard G speak, she said, "OOh I love your accent! Are you from Quebec?"

[annelizabeth 1]

I discovered something else, which I had never noticed before about a lot of us english people. When we say a word ending in 'a' (eg America) which is followed by a word starting with a vowel (eg 'is'), we tend to stick an 'r' in the middle (America ris). My husband and my stepson take the p**s out of me all the time and try to get me to say it. You watch out for it, it will drive you nuts once you are aware!

I was beginning to think it was just me, but I hear it all the time on Public Radio, the BBC and British films. Phew!

[MargotDarko 0]

I discovered something else, which I had never noticed before about a lot of us english people. When we say a word ending in 'a' (eg America) which is followed by a word starting with a vowel (eg 'is'), we tend to stick an 'r' in the middle (America ris). My husband and my stepson take the p**s out of me all the time and try to get me to say it. You watch out for it, it will drive you nuts once you are aware!

I was beginning to think it was just me, but I hear it all the time on Public Radio, the BBC and British films. Phew!

Oh wow!! I totally have to show this to my husband! He completely denies doing this but he totally does it all the time.

[C and J 1]

I discovered something else, which I had never noticed before about a lot of us english people. When we say a word ending in 'a' (eg America) which is followed by a word starting with a vowel (eg 'is'), we tend to stick an 'r' in the middle (America ris). My husband and my stepson take the p**s out of me all the time and try to get me to say it. You watch out for it, it will drive you nuts once you are aware!

I was beginning to think it was just me, but I hear it all the time on Public Radio, the BBC and British films. Phew!

I've just realised I do that

[joelunchbox 0]

I discovered something else, which I had never noticed before about a lot of us english people. When we say a word ending in 'a' (eg America) which is followed by a word starting with a vowel (eg 'is'), we tend to stick an 'r' in the middle (America ris). My husband and my stepson take the p**s out of me all the time and try to get me to say it. You watch out for it, it will drive you nuts once you are aware!

I was beginning to think it was just me, but I hear it all the time on Public Radio, the BBC and British films. Phew!

I've just realised I do that

Fun thread!

My ex is from deep in Alabama. I had to translate for her when we moved to texas. No Joke. There are still some words that come out of her mouth that I am not quite sure what they are... And, she is very well educated and very intelligent. Just saddled....or blessed with that Alabamian accent.

I figured that if I could figure out my ex's accent, I can surely handle any other foreign accent!!

[joelunchbox 0]

I discovered something else, which I had never noticed before about a lot of us english people. When we say a word ending in 'a' (eg America) which is followed by a word starting with a vowel (eg 'is'), we tend to stick an 'r' in the middle (America ris). My husband and my stepson take the p**s out of me all the time and try to get me to say it. You watch out for it, it will drive you nuts once you are aware!

I was beginning to think it was just me, but I hear it all the time on Public Radio, the BBC and British films. Phew!

And, normally when you add those extra "R"s in, you will lose them somewhere else.

typical american example: I drive a cah when I visit Chicargo. Have you heard something like that?

[JenAlex 0]

I know a lot of Oregonians who saw 'warsh' instead of 'wash'. Washington is "Warshington". haha

[Jo1973 0]

I had a similiar experience...I was sat on a bench having a cigarette, a woman came up to me and asked whether I had any spare smokes, I replied "Sorry I don't have any left" she then decided to ask me again in spanish. lol oooo.kkkkkkk (I don't even look spanish, I am pasty white. lol)

[Too Hot Too Cold 0]

I sometimes have tomato juice at restaurants.

I heave a deep sigh. Then I order. Then I wait for the waitress or waiter to say "Pardon?" and glance at my wife.

Then I say it again and it's ok.

One time I spotted the waitress mouthing "tomahhh-tohhh" as she walked away.

Another time the waitress came back with the juice and said "Your tomahtoh juice" as she handed it to me.

Having to repeat myself the first time I speak to a stranger who doesn't know that I'm English isn't uncommon. However, I don't have a regional English accent so I don't think my pronunciation is too, um, quirky for Americans to understand me. Fortunately, I'm in Maine so dropping my trailing r's is ok.

I've made a conscious decision to changed my vocabulary and spelling to US English. I live here now so it seems right that I switch over. Plus, I'll need to do it for my future employment. But I'm not going to change my pronunciation. If my pronunciation changes naturally then so be it. But it won't.

However, I don't think my wife will want me to change my swearing and exclamation. She's particularly fond of "Blimey!" and "B*ll*cks!"

Oh and she says that she likes it when I emphasize with a repeated bloody: "I couldn't get the bloody, bloody, bloody thing to work!"

Colin

PS Incidentally that "r" in "Americaris a big country" is to avoid an hiatus. It makes it easier to say. Ironically we lazy English often drop our t's and create hiatuses. Instead of dropping their t's lazy Americans use d's. But not in mittens.

PPS According to my wife it's a New England thing to put an r on the end of words that don't have them. People here have idearz.

She also says that she's heard Americans say "Americaris". Again that might be regional. But, Maine is Maine. Everybody not from here is from "away".

PPPS When my wife imitates "English" she sounds very posh. Not in the ridiculous American-actor-doing-bad-posh-English-accent way, just posh.

[TracyTN 237]

Went to lunch yesterday while at the shopping mall and ordered a bowl of chili, after the third attempt my wife had to translate for the server. What is so difficult about understanding "I'll have a bowl of chili please."

This is akin to our last McDonald's drive thru experience. They asked Chas if he wanted anything else, and he said 'Nothing, thanks'. They came back with 'A large coke?'